Over the years, a number of golf practice devices have been formulated to assist in facilitating a golfer to properly address and hit a golf ball from a tee or the like, irrespective of the size golf club selected. This permits the golfer to develop a controlled swing in which, during play of an actual round of golf, the golfer approaches the ball and initiates a golf swing which is essentially the same for a selected club with uniform drive to the golf ball. As may be appreciated, in order to insure consistency, unless purposely the golfer desires to drive the ball along a line of flight or path other than parallel to the swing and stance of the golfer, i.e. for controlled slicing, hooking, etc., the golf club should be swung in a manner such that the face of the club head impacts the golf ball with the face perpendicular to the line of flight at the moment of impact. Further, irrespective of the golf club is a wood or iron, a developed reproducible swing permits accurate control of the flight of the golf ball with repetitive accuracy. Since golf clubs are made to measure, the clubs vary in length, the faces of the clubs have varying angulation and the swing of the club relative to the feet position of the golfer further varies, depending upon these factors and the height of the golfer, etc. The creation of the developed golf swing not only takes time, but is complicated by the fact that the golfer, absent coaching must attempt, without any further assistance, the reproduction of his swing at various positions along the golf course, all of which are complicated by terrain variations and difference in type of hitting surface.
To facilitate the creation and maintenance of a controlled accurate and reproducible swing, golfers invariably employ golf ranges for individual practice. The driving range consists of a number of driving locations where the golfers are aligned at one end of the golfing range in a row, all face the same direction and drive the ball generally perpendicular to the aligned row of drivers. Many of the golfing ranges have prescribed driving positions created by rectangular or other configured mats formed of rubber, vinyl, artificial turf or the like, and in which in some cases tee placement positions are defined by a short length flexible tube such as rubber functioning as a fixed tee. This requires placement of the golf ball at an identical position irrespective of the club employed. Normally, no golf teaching or instruction mechanisms are employed, and the golfer hits a number of golf balls attempting to achieve reproducibility and controlled flight of the golf ball without benefit of knowing whether during each repetitive swing, his position feetwise and clubwise is close placementwise to that achieved during the prior swing.
A number of golf teaching devices or practice devices have been developed to assist in achieving both accuracy and reproducibility of the golf swing. While no means a complete collection of such devices, prior art devices are exemplified by the following U.S. patents which will be discussed in some detail and do have application as prior art to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,580 to R. Crowley issuing Mar. 14, 1939, is directed to a golf teaching and practicing device which takes the form of a number of interconnected sliding guide rods bearing rulerlike scale indicia creating a cruciform array. Paired parallel guide rods in the area of golf head swings which are interposed parallel to the swing path to opposite sides of the same, and adapted to receive a golf ball therebetween. This permits, by way of a cruciform connection, a foot stance position rod which is adjustable to aid in creating a reproducible golf swing. Such a device is complicated in that the position of the golf ball relative to the foot position of the golfer is indirectly identified by scale indicia carried by five interconnected, adjustably mounted bars, the device is cumbersome and appears to interfere with the actual golf swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,697 to E. A. Crossot issuing Jan. 15, 1957, shows a simplified arrangement in which a mat upon which the golfer stands is provided with fixed foot imprints defining foot positions for the golfer. A single flexible strip extends generally at right angles to the mat itself from the edge facing in the direction of the golf ball flight path and bears fixed defined iron and wood swing positions. The strip is movable laterally and positioned relative to the further indicia carried on the mat edge related to club length. While the device attempts to appropriately index proper stance of the golfer, and while the placement of the golfer's feet and the ball serves perhaps a majority of golfers, it represents, at best, an averaging situation for golf instruction to all golfers. Such systems must inherently fail and are useless to golfers who don't fit the average mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,219 to Sipos issuing Jan. 24, 1967, represents an even further, more rigid or inflexible training device. In that patent, a tee bar is provided with a base strip bearing at opposite ends rigid outlines for placement of the golfers feet, while a strip extending outwardly of the base and away from the foot position elements bears a number of holes defining for positioning of a tee whose position cannot vary right or left, but can only be extended away from the golfer in an attempt to control and fix the golfer's stance and swing position. While such devices may have utility for individual golfers, they are hardly adequate for a driving range, and cannot possibly apply to different woods and irons requiring tee placement to the right or left of the driver, depending upon the club selected.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,193 to Stanley issuing June 3, 1975, is directed to a more sophisticated golf practice device to which mounts a turflike mat bearing a plurality of literally disposed ball support means. It provides some flexibility in laterally shifting one element of an L-shaped guide relative to the other. The golf practice device fails to differentiate for golfers of varying height and makes no effort to satisfy the needs of both left and right handed golfers.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a reversibly positionable golf teaching device for driving ranges and the like which permits a golfer to assume for any given club a fixed and proper stance which may be easily achieved by the utilization of scale indicia which readily identifies by one scale the tee position for the golf ball for a given size club or iron and its placement relative to further scales proper positioning of the driver's feet.